You are here:
Home
Ministries
IenM
News
Schultz van Haegen: Successful trade mission to Brazil
This ministry contains 5 sections.
Schultz van Haegen: Successful trade mission to Brazil
Last week, Minister Schultz van Haegen (Infrastructure & the Environment) paid a working visit to Brazil. During her visits to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, she was accompanied by a delegation representing some 35 Dutch companies. The aim of the mission was to further strengthen cooperation between the Netherlands and Brazil in the areas of port development, transport and logistics, intelligent transport systems, ship-building and supply. This visit by Minister Schultz van Haegen was a follow-up to earlier trade missions sent to Brazil by the ministry.
Minister Schultz van Haegen is positive about the mission: “The Netherlands is the largest investor in Brazil after the United States. Moreover, as an export partner for Brazil we occupy fourth place. In addition, Rotterdam is the major transhipment port for Brazilian products destined for the European market. This offers enormous opportunities for the Dutch business community. Opportunities that we are now realising, for example with the cooperation between the federal state Espirito Santo, TPK (Terminal Presidente Kennedy) and the Port of Rotterdam for the development of a new port, Porto Central.”
São Paulo
In São Paulo, Minister Schultz van Haegen officially opened the 2012 Intermodal South America trade fair, the largest transport and logistics trade fair in the western hemisphere. The Dutch business community was also represented at the trade fair under the name ‘Holland Ports’.
The Governor of the Brazilian federal state Espirito Santo informed the Minister about the cooperation between his state, TPK and the Port of Rotterdam. During the visit, Minister Schultz van Haegen signed a cooperation agreement for ports, maritime transport and logistics with the Brazilian Ministers of Transport (Paulo Passos) and Ports (Leônidas Cristino). This agreement is aimed at deepening and broadening the existing cooperation in the previously mentioned areas. Both ministers were invited to visit the Netherlands.
Minister Schulz van Haegen also opened a seminar on Waste Management. On the part of Brazil, there is a great deal of interest in the Dutch approach, knowledge and know-how in this area. A good opportunity to introduce Dutch waste management companies and technology to the Brazilian market.
Rio de Janeiro
In Rio, together with the delegation representing the ITS sector, Minister Schultz van Haegen paid a working visit to the Command Centre that can be regarded as the operational headquarters of the city. There was a lot of interest in the new, innovative ideas of the Dutch companies that were present.
In Rio, Minister Schultz van Haegen also spoke with Sergio Machado, CEO of Transpetro, the largest oil and gas transport company in Brazil. Transpetro is part of the state company Petrobras, one of the largest national oil companies in the world and the major investor in Brazil. During this meeting, a bilateral working group made up of Dutch maritime companies and Transpetro was established to convert years of good relations into concrete job orders.
In addition to pipelines, Transpetro mainly uses ships for the transport of oil, gas and biofuels, making its shipping fleet the largest in Brazil.
The business community was pleased with the mission. Ineke Dezentjé Hamming, Chair of the FME-CWM Association that represents businesses operating in the technological industry, and business leader of the mission: “Now is the time for doing business. Our relations are excellent and that should now result in a fruitful marriage.”
Minister Schultz: “We are joining forces with the business community to properly present the Netherlands and all its strengths. Continued investment in your relations ultimately bears fruit.”
